News Broadcasting
BBC News appoints Will Gompertz as Arts Editor
MUMBAI: BBC News has appointed Will Gompertz to the newly-created post of Arts Editor. Gompertz is currently Director of Tate Media.
Gompertz has worked in the arts since he was 18 years old and founded a successful visual arts publication at the age of 25. Since then he has written, produced, published and commented on the arts in the UK and internationally. He will take over his new role soon.
Said BBC Director of News Helen Boaden, “This is an exciting appointment. Will has great passion, experience and knowledge of the arts. He is a great communicator and is full of ideas about how we could use new media more effectively, share arts news with out audiences. He will make an important contribution to our arts coverage in News and across the BBC.”
The creation of an Arts Editor role for BBC News is part of the BBC’s deeper commitment to arts and music on the BBC throughout 2010 with a wide range of initiatives aimed at supporting cultural Britain and better serving the public.
These include ideas like the recent pan-BBC Poetry Season which saw poetry sales surge and BBC Radio 3’s year-long celebration of Purcell, Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn.
The BBC has made a new commitment to partnerships in the arts, including working with the Arts Council England to transform public engagement by showcasing young talent, sharing technology and collaborating on live events.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
